Norwegian oil and gas company Vår Energi has made a smaller than expected discovery at the Rødhette exploration well in the North Sea, off Norway.
Vår Energi's partner Longboat said Monday that the well formally named 7122/6-3 S had encountered a 29-meter hydrocarbon column in the primary target in the Middle Jurassic Stø Formation. The top of the reservoir was reached close to prognosis containing high net-to-gross, moderate to good quality sandstone. Data acquisition indicates a gas column of approximately 18 meters in the well over an oil rim.
"Preliminary estimates by the operator place the size of the discovery between 9 and 12 mmboe recoverable (gross). As the Rødhette volumes are at the lower end of pre-drill expectations, both existing discoveries and additional prospectivity in the area will be considered in the evaluation of the commercial development potential of Rødhette through existing regional infrastructure," Longboat said.
The well was drilled 30 km north of the Vår Energi's Goliat field and 5 km south of the Tornerose discovery, using Saipem's Scarabeo 8 semi-submersible drilling rig. This was the first exploration well for the recently established Longboat Energy.
Helge Hammer, Chief Executive of Longboat, commented: "We are pleased to have made a hydrocarbon discovery with our first exploration well following our transformative acquisitions made this summer. We look forward to working together with the operator to use the data collected to assess the development potential for Rødhette alongside existing discoveries and further exploration potential in the area."
